“Former president Donald Trump set off a scramble Monday in the Republican Party after he threatened to upend the midterm elections by announcing his 2024 presidential bid on the eve of voting,” the Washington Post reports.
“Trump told people close to him Monday that he might announce his candidacy at a rally scheduled for Monday night in Ohio, prompting a chain of phone calls from party leaders who have tried for months to keep him from announcing until after the midterms. Some of his advisers began communicating to others Monday that efforts needed to be made to talk him out of announcing, while other advisers were egging him on to jump in.”
“It remained unclear Monday afternoon what he would do. Trump is known for attempts to build suspense, and he often vacillates on decisions after taking significant input from advisers. He also likes to float different theories and different plans to different advisers.”
Semafor: “Two people familiar with Trump’s thinking pointed out that while announcing on Monday would be before the midterms – a date that many of Trump’s aides heavily pushed as a red line – it’s so close to election night that it’s unlikely to affect any race outcomes.”
